Canapi Conversations

S2:E6 Built, Agentic AI, and the Future of Construction Lending

While our last episode focused on how banks are thinking about AI, this episode looks at how one of our portfolio companies is building agentic AI directly into the products banks rely on. In this episode of Canapi Conversations, host Keenan McCarthy sits down with Chase Gilbert, CEO and co-founder of Built, to discuss the company’s evolution over more than a decade and the launch of Draw Agent, one of the first agentic AI products purpose-built for construction lending. Chase defines agentic AI, dives into why draw review was the right first use case, and shares how Built’s approach helps banks adopt AI responsibly. Together, they examine what it looks like when AI moves beyond tooling and begins to take on real operational work inside banks.

S2:E5 AI, Actually: The AI Conversation with Banks

Banks aren’t only theorizing about AI nowadays. They're operationalizing it. [http://it.In] In [http://it.In] this episode, host Kristie Han (Canapi) sits down with Sangeetha Menon (Head Cloud Analytics, AI/ML & Gen AI Platforms, Truist) and Kevin Johnson (Director of Information Technology, AI, Data, & Modernization, Synovus) to discuss how AI is actually being deployed inside financial institutions today. Drawing on real examples, they break down where AI is already delivering workflow improvements, customer impact, and measurable ROI. The conversation also explores why some pilots scale while others stall, the organizational structures that make adoption possible, and what strong AI governance really looks like across validation, oversight, data, and vendor management. Kristie, Sangeetha, and Kevin close by sharing where they expect AI and agentic systems to have the biggest near-term impact in banking and the practical first steps leaders should take when beginning their AI journey.

S2:E4 Nova Credit and the Rise of Cash Flow Underwriting

Host Keenan McCarthy speaks with Misha Esipov, co-founder and CEO of Nova Credit, about the evolution of cash flow underwriting and how it’s redefining credit decisioning. Fresh off Nova’s $35 million Series D, Misha shares how the company is helping banks use cash flow data to expand access to credit, why regional institutions may hold a unique data advantage, and what growing industry momentum reveals about adoption across the lending ecosystem.

S2:E3 Demystifying the Bank Vendor Management Process

When a company selling into banks reaches a handshake agreement with a business leader, it can feel like the hard part is over… and then vendor management begins. In this episode of Canapi Conversations, host Keenan McCarthy is joined by Tammy Knies (Eastern Bank) and Chris Copeland (M&T Bank) to unpack the misconception of this “false finish line” and the nuances that emerge once due diligence starts. They explore why the process varies from bank to bank, how to avoid common pitfalls in contracting and risk review, and how teams are adapting to new challenges like AI oversight. Whether you’re selling into banks or managing fintech partnerships, this episode demystifies one of the most important, and misunderstood, parts of the process.

S2:E2 The Future of Lending: Casca and Live Oak Bank in Conversation

Season 2 continues with a candid conversation on the future of lending. Lukas Haffer (Casca) and Neil Underwood (Canapi / Live Oak Bank) explore why small business lending has been so difficult for both borrowers and bankers, how AI can transform the loan origination process, and what Casca and Live Oak’s close collaboration reveals about the future of bank–fintech partnerships in this space.